India and like-minded countries such as Brazil, South Africa, Ethiopia, and the UAE are expected to seek an international financing mechanism and technology transfer before quantifiable goals for the net zero target for the global aviation sector are adopted.

An Indian official said they have similar concerns that the crux of the transition will be technology for the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), which will cost billions of dollars. India is committed to decarbonisation but quantifiable goals should be preceded by the availability of funds for emerging countries to make the switch, the official said. They will otherwise pay for the “green washing of historical emissions” by developed nations, the official said.

SAF will be introduced gradually and blended with traditional fuels. It will be derived from alcohol, used oil, corn, and eventually hydrogen. The official said developed nations have subsidies and tax concessions that will not be available to Indian carriers, causing market disparity.

Montreal-headquartered United Nations agency International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has embarked on a decarbonisation agenda focused on increasing the use of SAF to gradually replace jet fuel.

The ICAO Assembly in October last year adopted the net zero target by 2050. Quantifiable goals as milestones are likely to be established to be achieved in the run-up to the deadline. They are expected to be discussed at a September meeting in Montreal and a conference on alternate aviation fuels in the UAE in November.

Emerging nations with large aviation sectors such as India are wary of the imposition of such targets.

India’s ICAO representative Shefali Juneja said India’s main concerns are that any ambitious quantifiable goal of SAF will inflate fares and cause market disparity affecting the growth of aviation in India and other developing countries. “The production of SAF is at a nascent stage globally and trillions of dollars are needed for this transition.”

India is seeking a timeline beyond 2050 for such decarbonisation and is more comfortable with 2070.

ICAO’s Council president Salvator Sciacchitano told HT last month that member states have accepted that some countries will reach the goal later. “…but what is important is that all together work in that direction.”

How soon SAF can be available as a cost-effective alternative is a challenge for countries such as India as the sector, which accounts for two per cent of global emissions, remains fragile and price sensitive.